Driving mechanism



April 18, 1939. R. M. NARDONE DRIVING MECHANISM Filed April 10, 1937 INVENTOR.

Mam film/Wm Patented A r-.18, 1939 nmvnvo MECHANISM Romeo bl. Nardone, East Orange, N. 3., assignor to Eclipse Aviation Oorporation, East Orange, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 10, 1937, Serial No. 136,192 2 Ciaims. (Cl- 14-7) My invention relates to driving mechanism, adapted for transmitting torque for various purposessuchasthestartingof internalcombustion engines,more parficularly but not I n airplane engines, and the object thereof is to provide a simple efiicient and reliable apparatus of this character for either power or manual operation or. both combined and characterized more particularly by novel and eflicient construction m whereby the power means and its operating connections may be rendered immime from the effects of rotation of the drive whenever induced by a rotation reversing force applied to the drive itself.

In Patent No. 1,753,830, granted toRaymond P. onAprilii,1930,thereisdiscloseda starting apparatus wherein the power means and its operating connections are automatically disengaged from the-mgine section of the 29 starter whenever there is manually induced rotation of the latter-but when the rotation of the latter is engine induced. as by an engine backfire during cranking, there is no such disengagement; and under such in-the Lansing patent construction, the motor armature suffers an undairable backward rotation, along with all the operating connections. The present invention, in contrast to that of the Lansing patent, renders the motor parts immune to rotation not onlyon such occasions butalsoonthe occasionsofmanualcrankingoftheengine, and moreover, provides unitary means'for achieving thisdoubleimmunity.

Theseand otherobjects oftbeinvmtlonwill become apparent from inspection of the followingtionwhenreadwiflireferencetothe accompanying drawingwhereinisillustratedthe preferred embodiment of themvention. Itis to be expresly understood, however, that the drawingisfor thepurposeofillustraflononimandis notdeslgnedasadeflnitirmofthelimitsofthe invention, reference being had to the appended claimsforthis P 1 1 7 Intbedrawing:-

riglisalongitudinalsectlonalviewofonly thatportionofastartingappamtuswhichneeds foranundo! tbemanner or applyingtbe t invention thereto;

Hg.2isaperspecflveviewineievaflcnofone elementofthemiitarymeansforachieving the doubleimmunityabovedescribed; and

Flg.3'isanotherviewinpa'specttveofthe completeunitarydevioeabov'ereferredto.

Asshowmthcsoidunitarydevieeisintheform faduflclutch,witharollersec-.

tion and a ratchet section, the clutch assembly being interposed in the drive from a power shaft It to the engine cranking member I I, corresponding to the engine cranking barrel 2 in the Lansing Patent No. 1,753,830, above described; the manual driving means being shown as including a central shaft l2 and a driving gear l3 rotatable by a hand turned gear (not shown) engageable therewith, and preferably corresponding to that shown at I!) in the said Lansing patent.

The roller section of the clutch assembly, best shown in Fig. 3, comprises an outer race I6, rollers l1, and cam member l8, Cam l8 forms part of a driving pinion l9 which is splined or otherwise secured (as indicated at 2|) to the above described shaft l2. The ratchet section of the clutch assembly shown in Fig. 2, includes a circular ring 22 secured to a long-face internal gear 23, but having axial movement with respect thereto, and having laterally disposed ratchet teeth 2| meshing with similar teeth formed on the lateral rim 26 of race l6. Spring 21 tends to keep the ratchet teeth 24, 26 in engagement during operation of shaft I2 as the driving means of the starter, but yields to'permit free sliding of the. teeth when shaft III is employed in lieu of shaft l2.

The drive is normally transmitted to the barrel II by way of shaft [0, bevelgears 3| and 32, pinions 33 and 34, outer clutch race l6, wedged rollers I'I, inner race (8, pinion l3, and the two sets of planetaries 36 and 31. During this operation ratchet teeth 26 slide freely over teeth 24 the latter being held against rotation by the engagement of splines 25 with the teeth of the long-face stationary, or reaction gear 23. Ratchets 24 and .26 being engaged, should back-firing occur, the

teeth 24, 26, will lock to prevent reverse rotation of member [6 and hence no reversal of rotation can be transmitted back to the planets 36 and 31, the gears 32 and 3|, or the motor shaft l0. Likewise, in the event of operation of the starter by way of hand shaft l2 in lieu of motor shaft [0, the drive will include only the inner race l8 of the clutch, the rollers I'I idling within outer. race [6, whereby rotation of the planets 36 and 31, gears 32 and 3| and shaft I0 is avoided.

- What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a work performing drive, manually operated means. connecting with said drive for actuation thereof, power means, and operating connections between said power 7 means and said drive, said operating connections including an overrunning clutch having a flanged roller race rotatable only by said power means, a

series of teeth on the flange of said flanged roller race and means engageable with said teeth for rendering said power means immune from the effects of rotation of the drive whenever induced by a rotation reversing force applied to the drive itself.

2. In an engine starter including a drive having an engine engaging member as a part thereof,

manually operated means connecting with said drive for actua'tion thereof to crank the engine, power means for cranking the engine, and operable through the instrumentality of said drive,

and operating connections between said power means and said drive, said operating connections including an overrunning clutch having a flanged roller race rotatable only by said power means, a series of teeth on the flange of said flanged roller race and means en'gagable with said teeth for rendering said power means immune from the efiects of rotation of the drive whenever induced by a backfire of the engine, said clutch also having a second roller race rotatable by either said j manually operated means orsaid power means.

ROMEO M. NARDONE. 

